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THE
MUSIC TRADE
The developments in Washington in connection with patent
legislation demonstrate that the members of the trade must be on
the alert in their opposition to this legislation, which, if passed,
would nullify the rights of the manufacturer of a patented article
to restrict the sale or price of such goods. The cut price dealer,
for instance, after buying these goods would have a legal right to
put the prices at any figure chosen, demoralizing the market and
making-a football of the manufacturer who sought to protect his
own rights and those of the merchant who believes in maintaining
prices.
The fight against this new patent reform bill should receive a
new impetus, and manufacturers and dealers should bombard their
representatives in Congress and the Senate with requests to oppose
this legislation which so greatly endangers the stability of prices
and the future of correct merchandising.
NEW form of publicity which is rapidly being utilized by
A
progressive manufacturers is the motion picture. Several
large concerns in other lines than pianos have had moving pictures
made of the various departments of their plants, showing the entire
process of manufacturing, from the raw material to the finished
article ready for shipment. These motion picture machines are
now so perfected that they can be conveniently carried by a sales-
man on his travels, who by their aid is enabled to give not only an
idea of the process of manufacturing that which he is selling, but
he can show pictures 1 of the exact goods in the natural colors—in
fact, an exact facsimile of the original product, thus bringing his
customers in faraway cities into the closest possible touch visually
with the manufacturing methods of the house he is representing,
as well as of the completed products 1 , and thus receiving impressions
of how they appeal to prospective purchasers.
This plan has been utilized by one or two of the prominent
furniture manufacturers in the West whose salesmen have given
exhibitions by means of motion pictures in the larger cities, in this
way getting their customers acquainted with the extent of the
manufacturing resources of the house they are representing, as
well as the finished goods and latest styles produced.
This suggests similar action on the part of our progressive
piano manufacturers. How interesting it would be were a piano
merchant able to supplement a player-piano recital, for which
special invitations were issued, with an illustrated talk on player-
piano construction, showing the innumerable details connected with
the production of the instrument, and the extent of the plant of the
manufacturer. It would have a tremendous value in influencing
public opinion in favor of the instrument, and in stimulating a bet-
ter conception of the functions and purposes of the player action
and the player-piano as a whole.
It is obvious that motion pictures are to play a tremendous
part in the advertising plans of large manufacturing concerns in the
rear future. Not alone are they available for and productive of
great results in developing domestic trade, but as a means of edu-
cating the foreigner to the American way of doing things they open
up a tremendous field for the transmission of knowledge in a most
illuminating way.
r
I "HE educational value of motion pictures in the hands of a
-*- salesman who is a good speaker is beyond computation. As
far as developing the interest of the people of foreign countries
in American products, they are really as effective as if the foreigner
were brought into the manufacturer's plant and taken over each
department of production. For through the motion picture he is
brought into personal relation with the manufacturing processes
of the various articles in which he is interested and in this way
enthusiasm and interest are aroused, and the salesman can proceed
with his work backed by the fact that he is able to convey a thor-
ough knowledge of how the products which he sells are manufac-
tured.
Motion pictures have big possibilities for the manufacturer in
an advertising way. From being merely an amusement feature
they are bound to work their way into a new sphere of usefulness
just as the talking machine has developed from a toy into an edu-
cational factor of the greatest importance, which is recognized
to-day by the leading educational authorities of the United States.
This is evolution truly, and of the right sort.
REVIEW
Legal Questions Answered for the
Benefit of Review Readers
questions, which have direct bearing on music
trade affairs, will be answered free of charge.
CJThis Department is under the supervision of
Messrs. Wentworth, Lowenstein & Stern, attor-
neys at law, of 60 Wall Street, New York.
^Matter intended for this Department should be
addressed plainly, Legal Department, The Music
Trade Review.
T
HE fiscal year just closed has again pushed the great total of
our foreign commerce upward. If the coming year shows
like increases, we shall pass the four-billion dollar mark, if, indeed,
we do not pass it in the present calendar year. We exported
$2,204,222,088 worth of our farm and factory products. Last year,
the biggest till now, we exported $2,049,320,199 worth. The in-
crease in exports is almost entirely an increase in manufactured
goods, for our agricultural exports were almost identical in value
with the year 1910-11. The non-agricultural exports were $1,260,-
219,872, compared with $1,104,957,245 in 1910-11. The exporta-
tion of manufactures in the fiscal year just ended more than justi-
fied the estimate of the Bureau of Statistics, that the total value
would in 1912 for the first time cross the billion dollar line. That
bureau, which this week completed its figures showing the expor-
tation of manufactures, places the total value of manufactures ex-
ported in the fiscal year" at $1,021,753,918, of which $674,302,903
was the value of manufactures ready for consumption and $347,-
451,015 that of manufactures for further use in manufacturing.
B
USINESS men who hire lawyers to settle their disputes do
not know, perhaps, that the Chamber of Commerce of New
York has a better method—better in every way, short, cheap and
fair. At the recent convention of the National Association of
Credit Men, held in Boston, Sereno S. Pratt, of the Chamber,
asked the members whether their clients had protracted suits at
law, and whether their liquid funds were shortened on that ac-
count. Of course, every credit man should ask whether a person
seeking credit is engaged in litigation, and, if so, why he does not
try the more speedy and less expensive method of arbitration sug-
gested by the Chamber.
The Chamber of Commerce offers to every business man in
this country, or doing business with it abroad, the facilities of its
Committee on Arbitration, of which Charles L. Bernheimer is chair-
man. The Chamber itself commands respect, the men composing
its committee are picked men, judicial and practical, with large
business experience. The fee paid to the arbitrators is purposely
restricted to that of a referee, ten dollars a day. The hearings may
he in private, and a dispute that the courts would protract for
months or even years may be settled within a few hours. What a
blessing!
The voluntary arbitration, which becomes legal and binding,
deprives the controversy of heat. As the New York Times in-
stances, two of the biggest merchants of this city this year selected
an arbitrator of the Chamber and submitted papers. Before the
action could come to an issue they found that the points of dif-
ference were not great, and settled the dispute themselves. In
this case the Committee on Arbitration served really as a Committee
of Concilliation. Above all, resort to it overcame a disagreeable
incident quickly, and at practically no expense.
B
ASED upon the official statistics recently compiled, New York
City is the most important manufacturing center in the
United States. With a population of 5 per cent, of that of the
entire country, the city has nearly TO per cent, of the industrial
establishments, with an output of almost TO per cent, of the entire
manufactured products.